Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-07-27
LETIER-W RI TING.
Suggestions Relating to the Duties of
Ladies' as Correspondents.

Suggestions Rotating to the Duties OF
Ladies' ms Correspondents.
II is TOO often the case that women
who have much houscwotk to do, and
very often those who have little, are
very poor correspondents. They do
not mean to be so, nor are they will
fully neglectful, but they have an idea
that they must have just so much time
IN which to answer letter received,
and they keep putting off writing. ex-
pecting every day to make that time,
until both writer and letter are only
remembered at odd times. Frequent
ly you hear such women say: II
ought to answer So-and-So's letter,
but l can't seem to get time to do it.
want to write good long one when
l do write, and l must have time
10 do 1t properly. l must manage
TO make time somehow to do it." 1t
is not a very easy matter for such
women to make time, and generally
the time Is never made. To make
time something must be neglected,
and there are so many things that
it is necessary that they should do at
just such times, that it is difficult to
determine just which of them to neg
lect. There are some things that can
be put off and the neglect hardly
noticed, and the housekeeper knows
which are the least important, and
which ones she can neglect, but she
does not want to put off any thing,
and works on, thinking she will get
time somehow, without any sighting
of her work. Such woman will
seldom get the leisure she desires for
writing, and very often her correspond
ence remains for years unanswered.
All women will. think, admit that
the earlier letter Is answered after
its receipt, unless there are good rea-
sons for delay, the easier and pleasant
er it is to accomplish, while the lon ger
it is kept waiting the more difficult it
becomes to answer it. What at first
would have been pleasure becomes in
the end bugbcar and annoyance, and
the longer it is put off the more it is
avoided. Answer letter as soon after
its receipt as possible. Don't put it off
thinking you will have more time in
the future to write long letter full of
news. 1t will need to be of an endless
length, and veritable budget of
events, to make up for the time lost in
getting it ready, II at all like the ma
jority of deferred correspondence.
Instead of waiting to write a
long letter, commence to answer as
soon rs you can get the time, and
after you have once begun there is lit
tie chance that you will not finish it,
for to most people in regard to letter.
writing, "a thing begun is half done"
If not finished ut once, it can be
dropped and taken up and completed
at another time soon after, and you
will be surprised at the length and
newsiness of your letter, and be better
satisfied than If you had waited as at
first you had intended to do.
If you are away from the old folks
write to them often. Let them know
just how you are getting along. To be
sure, you need not let them know
every little ailment. In fact, there is
no necessity for telling of every little
spell of illness in the family. You
might only say you or the children
had slight cold, yet to them it would
appear as though it were something
more than n slight cold, and
their imagination, coupled with their
acute anxiety, invest you or the chill
dren in dangerous malady, which
they feel you would not write about for
fear of worrying them. Avoid of all
things any illness or trouble in the
family, unless it is actually necessary
that they should know. Tell them of
all pleasant things occurring in the
home-the says and doings of the chill
dren, These will be of the greatest in
terest TO them. for they like to contrast
each Of the little ones quaint sayings
with some of your own when you were
baby, II there are any members of
the family away from home, be sure
you do not neglect to write to them.
Have your letters CHEEKY and bright,
all the pleasant news you have heard,
but no reference to illness, unless dan
gerous, or none whatever to trouble, II
you value their peace of mind, for most
people away from home are very likely
to make mountain out of mole
hill. "-Boston Budget.